Puppy Love
by LobsterLobster
Summary: A new addition to Team Family arrives at the prison, setting off a chain of events that bring Rick and Michonne closer and closer together. UPDATE: Rick and Michonne sit down and have a serious discussion about the direction of their blossoming relationship.
1. Chapter 1 - A New Friend

Puppy Love

Summary: Rick is happy to see Michonne make it back to the prison safe and sound, but she just asks for Carl right away and doesn't pay any attention to Rick. What's going on?

A/N: I've had the idea for this story for a while now. Prepare to die from the adorableness, that's all I have to say!

….

"They're back!" Maggie's voice called from the look-out tower.

Rick looked up to see her wave excitedly and then turn to run down the stairs. He dropped his basket of corn cobs unceremoniously on the ground and ran towards the gate as well.

The sight of Glenn's battered pick-up truck followed by Daryl's motorcycle filled him with sweet relief. They were supposed to be back yesterday morning.

Supply runs took longer than expected more often than not, so it didn't do any good to worry until there was good reason. Still, the people left behind at the prison had started feeling anxious about this wait. The weather had turned cold a few weeks ago and a higher number of walkers than usual seemed to be in the area.

Rick started to pull the gate open and Maggie rushed to help him. Glenn drove the truck on through the gate and up towards the parking area. Rick spotted Michonne riding shotgun.

"Everything alright?" Rick asked Daryl as he slowed his motorcycle to greet his friends.

"Yeah. Got messy there for a bit, but it's alright," Daryl said, "We got a good haul."

Rick and Maggie followed Daryl up the hill to where others were already helping to unload the truck. Rick passed them and went to the side of the truck where Michonne was taking her time getting out.

"Hey, it's good to see you back in one piece," Rick greeted her with a smile, "Run into trouble out there?"

Michonne was moving slowly, which was a little strange, and she kept one arm wrapped around her stomach.

"Where's Carl?" she asked, finally looking up at Rick.

"He's inside, reading," Rick frowned, "You okay? Michonne, are you hurt?"

"I'm okay," she said, "Could you go get Carl for me?"

"Alright, sure," Rick agreed, wondering what was going on but knowing Michonne wouldn't explain until she was good and ready.

He set off at a jog to fetch his son.

Carl was stretched out on his bed, writing in one of the workbooks that Carol had all of the kids studying. He'd resisted at first, of course. Eventually he realized that he didn't mind it that much. Filling out a couple pages of math or reading was a good enough break from working in the garden.

"Carl," Rick got his attention, "They're back."

Carl looked up, automatically worried that something was wrong, but saw that Rick was smiling at him.

"Michonne's asking for you," Rick informed him, "I think she has something for you."

"What is it?" Carl jumped up excitedly, all thoughts of schoolwork promptly forgotten.

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me anything," Rick said wryly.

"Well, let's go!" Carl pushed past his dad and ran off to meet his friend.

Rick followed close behind. A small voice told him to stop running around the prison like an excited kid, so he let Carl run ahead, but not too far as he didn't want to be left out of whatever was going on.

"Hey!" Carl slowed to a stop in front of Michonne, who was waiting by the truck, an unreadable smile on her face.

"Hey yourself," she returned, one arm still wrapped awkwardly around her stomach.

"Dad said you got me something?" Carl asked a little hesitantly. He felt like it might be too rude to ask for a present right when she got back. Still, he was dying of curiosity.

"Did he now?" Michonne asked, raising her eyebrows at Rick.

"Is it comic books? Candy?" Carl asked.

"No, something better," Michonne smiled at Carl and Rick. She now had their full attention.

Michonne unzipped her jacket and a little furry head popped out, timid but curious.

"A puppy?!" Carl gasped in disbelief, "For real?!"

Rick was momentarily speechless. He looked between the dirty puppy cradled inside Michonne's jacket for warmth and his son's shocked face.

"Mhmm," Michonne unzipped her jacket the rest of the way and carefully placed the little animal in Carl's arms.

"He's so little! Dad, look! It's a puppy!" Carl exclaimed in wonder, still almost not believing it.

The puppy wriggled and hid his face.

"Is it for me?" Carl looked up at Michonne, his eyes shining.

"If your dad says it's okay," she answered.

"Dad? Can I keep him?" Carl asked.

All eyes were now on Rick. Even the puppy peeked up at him.

"He'll be your responsibility, Carl. You'll have to walk him, feed him, wash him, everything. Do you think you can do that?" Rick asked, serious with a smile tugging at his mouth. Of course Carl could keep the puppy, but Rick still had to play his role as father.

"Yes! I'll take care of him, I promise!" Carl hurried to assure him.

"I can't believe it!" Carl looked back down at the young puppy. It was skinny and its fur was so matted with dirt that he almost couldn't tell what color it was.

Tears of joy fell from Carl's eyes. He'd always wanted a dog. Before the world had changed, he used to beg his dad for a dog every year, but he'd always been told, 'Not yet. Maybe next year, when you're older.'

He'd almost forgotten what it was like to even want something like that.

"What do you have to say?" Rick prodded Carl gently.

"Michonne!" Carl sniffed and blinked back his tears.

"Here, let me see the little guy," Rick took the puppy from Carl's arms.

Carl threw his arms around Michonne and hugged her tightly, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Rick held the puppy up and looked him in the face. The puppy blinked his big brown eyes nervously and Rick realized that all this time they'd been thinking of it as 'him' but had yet to actually check if it was a boy or girl.

"Yep, it's a boy," he confirmed, "Looks like he's maybe only a few weeks old."

Michonne and Carl were both watching him now.

"We'll get you cleaned up," Rick spoke to the puppy, mock serious, "Get you some food and water, have Hershel take a look at you. What do you think? That sound okay, little guy?"

Carl laughed at Rick, talking to the puppy like that. Rick handed him back to Carl.

"Now, he's scared because he's not used to being around people yet," Michonne advised, "You have to be very gentle with him, make sure he feels safe."

"Okay," Carl nodded and started to head back towards the prison but was quickly stopped by Maggie, wanting to take a look at the puppy.

Rick looked at Michonne in amazement. He wrapped his arms around her in a big hug.

"I don't remember the last time I saw him that happy. I don't know how you did it, but thank you," he told her sincerely.

Michonne hesitated a bit, surprised by Rick's unexpected display of affection, but then relaxed and hugged him back. When he pulled back from the hug, Rick realized that Michonne was crying.

"Hey," he said softly, "Hey, what is it?"

She wouldn't look at him, just turned her head away and tried to wipe her eyes.

"Michonne," he said her name imploringly, titling his head in concern.

Taking a deep breath, she managed, "Sorry, I just…I'm…" she paused, wiped her eyes with her sleeve again, tried a smile, but ended up looking at the ground.

"It's just been a long time since anybody hugged me, you know," Michonne said, her voice quieter than usual.

These days, the way you had to be to not let things get to you, to handle the things you had to do to make it through the day, when a soft moment came along it could be hard to handle. The emotion would catch up to you unexpectedly; it was easy to get overwhelmed sometimes. Rick knew better than anyone how that felt.

"Well, you sure hit the jackpot today," Rick said with a confiding smile, "Carl is usually pretty stingy with his hugs."

Word sure spread fast in the prison and the other kids were already squealing and crowding around Carl. It didn't take him long to put them in order, telling everyone what to do. Carl headed towards the prison, the puppy cradled protectively against his chest and Patrick, Lizzy, Mika, and the little kids on his heels.

"Come on," Rick smiled gently at Michonne. She looked exhausted, probably hadn't slept or eaten anything since the day before.

"The others have the unloading covered. Let's get you inside."

…

TBC!

A/N: So, any guesses as to what Carl is going to name his new puppy?


	2. Chapter 2 - A Rose by Any Other Name

Puppy Love

Summary: How is Carl's new companion settling in to life at the prison?

A/N: Thank you to the people who suggested names for the puppy! Your input was given due consideration and now you will have to read on to find out Carl's decision. I hope you are pleased with the results.

…..

Chapter 2

Maggie was gushing over the puppy cradled in Carl's arms, "Oh! I have to tell Beth!"

A loud shriek caused them both to look up and see Mika running towards them at full speed, followed closely by her sister, Patrick, and the other little kids.

"Oh my," Maggie exclaimed, taking her cue to step back or be trampled by the excited children.

"It's true! Look, Lizzie! Look!"

"Wow!"

"Is it a boy or a girl? Can I see?!"

"Carl, where did he come from?!"

"Can I pet 'em?! Please!?"

"Michonne found him outside and brought him back," Carl tried to keep up with the answers, making sure to specify that it was _his_ puppy, "She gave him to me just now!"

"Oh! Look how cute! Carl!"

"Can I hold him?"

"Let me see!"

In no time at all, both Carl and the puppy were feeling quite surrounded by the crowd of people, bombarding them with questions, jumping up and down, reaching to touch the puppy.

"Everyone stop!" Carl said loudly.

The others paused and looked at Carl as he explained, "Listen, he's really little and scared of people. You can't all rush him at once."

"Okay," Mika nodded, chastised.

"He needs a bath!"

"And food and water and a bed!"

Carl realized that all the kids were looking to him expectantly. _Maybe this is what my dad feels like when he's the leader… _He took a deep breath and looked across the excited faces of his friends._ Now I get to be in charge!_

"Patrick can help me clean him up. Lizzie and Mika, you guys find some bowls for food and water," Carl gave his orders.

"Okay!" the two sisters ran off to the kitchen.

"Let's get some shampoo and towels!" Patrick suggested.

"I have a blanket he can use for a bed!" one of the little kids added.

They all followed Carl and the puppy into the prison.

"Does he have a name yet?" Patrick asked.

"Not yet," Carl answered, "I'll think of something good."

…

Rick walked beside Michonne towards the cell block.

"Looks like you just made Carl the most popular kid in the prison," Rick told her with a smile.

"Yeah," Michonne agreed, smiling back.

Rick was quiet for a bit, lost in thought, which was not an uncommon occurrence.

He kept thinking about how touched Michonne had been by something as simple as getting a hug from Carl. It hurt him to realize how lonely she'd probably been all this time. He knew what it was like to feel isolated, even when he was around other people.

Rick silently resolved to do his best to make Michonne feel more included, to make sure she knew how much he appreciated her.

"I know Carl is responsible," Rick found himself rambling, "but he needs something to be responsible for. It'll be good for him to learn how to take care of a dog, give him something to be proud of."

Michonne nodded her understanding and Rick found himself telling her about the dog that he'd had growing up. Usually, when it came to Michonne, Rick would hold back. He was afraid that if he pushed too far, he would scare her away.

One minute she'd be smiling and saying how happy she was to see him again, then the next she'd shy away and say she was only staying for a little while. It was best, Rick had decided, to be cautious, but now he couldn't seem to stop talking.

"Come to think of it, the prison probably had guard dogs. We might even find some old dog food lying around here somewhere, the garage maybe."

"Rick?" Michonne interrupted him.

_Oh man, now I've done it. What was I thinking, talking so much?_

"I'm really thirsty, could you grab me a water bottle?" Michonne asked and Rick suddenly realized that they were standing outside her cell.

"Yeah, sure," Rick said.

Michonne tried and ultimately failed to stifle a huge yawn. She unslung her sword from her shoulder and propped it up in the corner of her room, by the door.

Rick turned to go towards the kitchen, feeling like a huge dork.

At the end of the cell block, though, he couldn't help but glance back toward Michonne's cell. To his surprise, she was still standing there, watching him thoughtfully.

When she caught his eyes, Michonne gave him a soft smile then ducked her head and went into her room.

…..

A week passed with no major incidents at the prison. Carl's puppy slowly realized that he had a safe home and none of the people here would try to grab him and eat him. He followed Carl around all day like a miniature shadow. He slept curled up on a little blanket at the foot of Carl's bed.

Rick started teaching Carl how to train the puppy, who looked like he was part German Shepherd, part mutt. Sure enough, they found several massive bags of kibble stored away in a closet near the kennels for the prison guard dogs.

Everyone had a suggestion for what to name the puppy; it was the major topic of discussion at every meal.

Carol suggested that he name the puppy Grimesy, Daryl seemed to believe that all dogs should be called Bud and taught to hunt squirrels, and Mika was adamant that he should be named Griselda Gunderson.

At first Carl thought he might name the puppy after someone that they'd lost. After all, there were enough names to choose from; Axel, Oscar, T Dog, Dale, Shane, his best friend from third grade, the list went on, but he quickly decided against that idea. He wasn't sure it felt right to name a dog after a person and he didn't want to make people sad whenever they heard it.

"So, what's the verdict?" Rick asked him over dinner.

"Little guy needs an official name," Michonne added.

"I've thought about it," Carl told his captive audience, "and his name is Boris."

Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Glenn were momentarily at a loss for words.

"Oh," Genn said, "That's a strange-" Michonne swiftly kicked him under the table, "um, good, that's a good name, Carl. I like it."

"I wanted him to have a name that sounds tough," Carl explained, giving Glenn a weird look.

Rick nodded his approval, secretly wondering what might happen if Carl got to name anything else. _First Judith, now Boris…I think the power is going to his head._

Michonne smiled, "Sounds good to me."

Carl grinned and went back to eating, every so often sneaking a bit of food to Boris, who sat expectantly at his feet.

…..

"But seriously, Maggie, why couldn't he have just named him Killer if he wanted a tough name?"

Maggie laughed, "Honey, I'm beginning to think you're jealous of Carl."

"Of course I'm jealous," Glenn pouted, "I want a dog too!"

"Aw, come here," Maggie never could resist Glenn's puppy dog eyes, "How about a kiss instead?"

…

TBC!

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Ya'll probably needed something happy. That last episode was pretty dark…

Anyway, I have the next chapter planned already. It will be titled Puppy Kisses. You've been warned.


	3. Chapter 3 - Puppy Kisses

Puppy Love

Summary: Well, I think it's safe to say nothing remotely this cute and fluffy will ever happen on the show, but we can dream, right?

A/N: That wasn't much of a summary, but I don't want to give away the good parts before you read it! Anyway, enjoy!

…..

Chapter 3 – Puppy Kisses

Winter sunlight filtered through the bars on the prison windows. Michonne stirred in her sleep then opened her eyes slowly. Low voices drifted through the cell block. It sounded like Rick and Carl.

Michonne considered getting up and joining them but she'd been on the late shift keeping watch last night and ultimately decided to sleep a little longer.

It was nice to have a bed to sleep in, with a real pillow and a soft blanket. It had taken a long time to trust it, but living at the prison felt nice, safe even. She'd even started taking off her shoes when she slept. She dozed off again.

All of a sudden something landed on her chest and she felt something wet on her face.

Michonne opened her eyes in alarm only to be greeted by a cold nose and slobbery puppy kisses all over her face.

"Wha- Agh! No! Boris, no!" she tried to push the puppy away but he squirmed around and continued to press his attack.

Carl was sitting on the edge of her bed, laughing loudly.

"Ugh, gross!" Michonne sat up, ineffectively trying to wipe the slobber off her cheeks and somehow corral the excited puppy.

Finally she managed to grab Boris. She hugged the wiggling puppy to her chest, craning her neck to keep out of his reach.

"Good morning," came Rick's deep voice. He was standing in the entrance to her cell, holding Judith in his arms, an amused smirk on his face.

"Were you in on this?" Michonne asked him suspiciously.

"Rick Grimes, I thought you took a vow to uphold law and order," she teased him. She pet Boris on the head, which seemed to calm him down a little bit.

Rick actually laughed and came closer, "Hey now, this was all his idea," he motioned to Carl, who looked pretty darn pleased with himself.

"I got the same treatment yesterday," Rick added.

"I want to train him to do useful stuff, like wake people up when there's an emergency," Carl was saying.

"Well, puppy kisses is hardly the worst way to wake up in the morning," Michonne said, smiling at her friend.

Michonne cupped the puppy's face in her hands and, saying, "Good morning, Boris," kissed the top of his head, which made Carl giggle.

"You keep that up, you're next!" Michonne informed him, and then proceeded to give Carl the same treatment.

"Good morning, Carl," she said, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Ick," Carl made a face but it was a playful annoyance.

"Hey, what about them?" Carl asked, glancing up at Rick and Judith, and then looking back at Michonne expectantly and, she thought, just a little too innocently.

Michonne looked at the father and daughter. Even after all the terrible things that had happened to him, after all the things that he had to do, when Michonne saw Rick holding Judith she could tell that he still had a softness in him, that there was still room for love in his heart.

Seeing Rick looking happy and comfortable made Michonne forget, for a moment, that old guarded hesitation that she usually held up between herself and the rest of the world. She swung her feet to the ground and stood up.

"Good morning, sweet girl," Michonne leaned over, one hand on Rick's shoulder, and lightly kissed the top of Judith's head.

Judith cooed something in her baby language. Rick looked down at her affectionately.

"Good morning, Rick," Michonne said as she leaned in to kiss Rick on the cheek, but he turned his head at the sound of her voice and her lips landed squarely on his lips.

She stepped back quickly. Rick's eyes were wide with shock, like he couldn't quite process what had just happened.

Mortified, Michonne opened her mouth to apologize, to say it was an accident, but the words caught in her throat. _I can't believe I just did that!_

Anxious, she looked over at Carl, who was busy trying to get Boris to stop burrowing in Michonne's blanket. He hadn't seen a thing.

She looked back at Rick hesitantly. She couldn't tell what he was thinking but he didn't look angry. If anything he looked a little bit nervous, which was unusual for Rick Grimes, and a little embarrassed on top of that.

Michonne ended up giving him an awkward smile and an apologetic shrug, hoping Rick would understand.

Rick's blue eyes looked down at Judith then back up at Michonne again, almost shyly. He had that calm gaze that he got when he was about to say something direct, something honest.

"Hey Dad," Carl unknowingly interrupted, "Can we let Judith meet Boris?"

"I was thinking we could train Boris to be a guard dog," he continued, "We could teach him to protect Judith. You know, in case something ever happened and we weren't there or something."

Rick considered this. Carl had clearly been thinking on this idea for a while.

"Alright," Rick agreed.

"Boris! Come here!" Carl implored. The puppy was busy wrestling with the blanket.

Michonne decided it might help to pull the blanket off the bed entirely.

"Come here, little guy," she said and scooped Boris up.

"Calm down, Boris," Carl told him in a soothing voice, "so you can meet Judy."

Michonne sat beside Carl and transferred the puppy to him. Carl stroked Boris' back, helping him settle down.

"Dad, you can sit here," Carl motioned to the bed and Michonne scooted over so that there was space between them.

Rick sat down and held Judith on his lap. Carl let go of Boris cautiously, ready to grab him again if he got too wild.

The puppy sniffed the baby girl curiously.

"Oooh?" Judith asked, reaching out to pat the strange new animal's face.

"Yeee!" she squealed in delight, which prompted Boris to lick her cheek. Judith giggled and waved her arms around in excitement.

"I think you've got a new friend, Judy," Rick said.

"They're pretty cute," Carl said thoughtfully.

Rick agreed, "Yeah, they are."

The little puppy rested his head on Judith's lap and, surprisingly, tolerated her patting his nose and tugging on his ears.

Watching them, Michonne thought about how far they'd come, her and Rick, since that first day she'd found him standing inside the prison fences.

At the beginning, they hadn't trusted each other one bit, but Rick had saved her from the walkers that day and Michonne had decided to help him out and ultimately to stay. Now, here they were, sitting so close together, it felt like they were a cozy little family.

Michonne felt a pang of sadness at that thought because it reminded her of the past_. Maybe that's okay though_. _I can't forget what happened, but maybe it's okay to be like this now. Maybe this is where I belong._

She realized that Rick was watching her and when she met his eyes there was something there, she couldn't have explained what it was if she'd tried, that made her think he felt the same way.

Rick smiled.

Michonne smiled back. _I could get used to this._

….

A/N: So, what did you think? An accidental Richonne kiss! What's going to happen now? Are they going to pretend that little kiss never happened or is one of them going to bring it up?


	4. Chapter 4 - Cupid had Paws

Puppy Love

Summary: Will Michonne and Rick finally confront their feelings for each other? They've already kissed once, albeit by accident, so what are they waiting for?

A/N: If you've ever wondered what The Walking Dead would look like as a romantic comedy instead of a horror adventure story, well, this is it. Enjoy!

….

Chapter 4 – Cupid has Paws

Michonne pushed aside the curtain to her cell and walked in, propping her sword up in its usual spot by the entrance. She sat down on her bed and let out a sigh.

It'd been a long couple of days. She'd barely seen Rick at all since that morning when she'd accidently kissed him.

There were several near-disasters at the prison, mostly revolving around the growing clusters of walkers at the fences, which kept Michonne and the others very busy. She didn't mind keeping busy, it was good to have a job to do.

At first, she had resolutely decided to pretend that the kiss had never happened. It was too embarrassing, after all, to even think of talking about it. So for a good day and a half, she had managed to put it entirely out of her mind.

Then the questions had started slinking in, whenever she had a few moments to herself. _But why hasn't Rick said anything about it?_ It had really looked like he was going to say something, before Carl interrupted.

Then she decided that it only made sense for Rick to act like nothing had happened. _He didn't ask to be kissed. If he doesn't care, then I shouldn't either. It's no big deal_, Michonne told herself, and almost convinced herself that was the case.

Still, in the quiet moments before she fell asleep, when there were no more worries to occupy her mind, she ended up thinking about Rick Grimes…the fleeting soft feel of his lips against hers, the adorable look of surprise on his face, the affectionate looks she sometimes caught him giving her when she was hanging out with Carl…

Michonne lay back on her bed and stretched out her tired legs. She finally asked herself the questions she'd been avoiding the past few days.

_Do I want him to say something about the kiss? Do I want him to think about me that way? Do I keep thinking about this because I really just want to – _

Before she could follow that particular train of thought any further, a distinctive sound caught her attention; the pitter-patter of little paws scampering over the cement floor.

"Boris?" she called out and, sure enough, a brown snout poked under the curtain.

"Come here, Boris," Michonne called, sitting up.

The puppy came into her room, wagging his tail happily.

"Where's your boy?" she asked. It was odd for Boris to be wandering around without Carl.

Boris didn't have an answer to that, but he had something to show Michonne. He stood on his hind legs and put his front paws on her knees.

"Whoa! What is this?" Michonne realized that the puppy was carrying something in his mouth.

"Boris!" she said firmly, "Let go!" and managed to pry the piece of red cloth out of his mouth.

Michonne let out a laugh when she realized what she was holding. It was a pair of boxers, red with little pink hears all over.

"Where did you get this?!" Michonne asked Boris in bewilderment, but the dog just sat there looking up at her, wagging his tail, clearly pleased with his accomplishments.

"BORIS!" came a loud, deep voice from outside her room.

Michonne looked at the dog, who suddenly looked less happy and more nervous, then at the doorway.

"Rick?" she called, standing up.

"Michonne," Rick said, awkwardly poking his head into her room, "Have you seen-"

He caught sight of Boris and narrowed his eyes. Boris lowered his head and stopped wagging his tail. He looked decidedly guilty.

Michonne pulled back the curtain so she could see Rick fully.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Rick Grimes, the man who had led the fight to clear out a prison full of animated corpses, who had led an assault on a heavily fortified, well-armed town to rescue his friends, who worked tirelessly to grow food and protect his family, now stood in front of her dripping wet and completely naked except for a towel tied around his waist.

There were still shampoo suds in his curly hair. Rick looked around and realized that people walking by were starting to stare, which made him even more flustered, if that was possible. He swiped one hand over his face in an attempt to clear water out of his eyes.

"I take it these are yours?" Michonne asked, holding up the red boxers.

Rick nodded and stepped wholly inside the room.

"They've got some slobber on 'em," Michonne said, grinning in amusement.

"Boris, uh, he snagged my underwear while I was in the shower and ran off, that little rascal," Rick explained, shooting a glare at the culprit.

"I can see that," Michonne replied, trying hard not to giggle.

Rick clutched his towel a little tighter, seemingly unable to decide whether he wanted to take his boxers from Michonne or to discipline Boris or to make a run for it.

Eventually he realized that he wouldn't be getting out of this situation with any dignity either way, so Rick decided that the best way to not be embarrassed was to act like he wasn't embarrassed. He finally looked directly at Michonne and broke into a smile, laughing a little at the ridiculousness of his predicament.

Michonne laughed too, and couldn't help but add, "You know, Rick, I wouldn't have guessed you liked this style," indicating the cute pink heart pattern on the red boxer shorts.

"Well, Daryl snatched the Calvin Klein's and I got stuck with the Valentine's ones," Rick said with a confidential smile.

"Oh, really?" Michonne laughed.

Standing there with him, laughing together, all the time she had spent worrying and overthinking things seemed to fall away. She always felt more at ease when Rick was around, more free to be herself.

After everything they had been through the past few months, and everything before that too, it felt really good to see Rick smile so easily, to hear his rare laugh. Michonne couldn't help sneaking an appreciative look at his bare body.

When Michonne met Rick's eyes again, she knew immediately that she hadn't been nearly as discrete as she'd thought. Rick's playful grin fell away and was replaced by something more thoughtful.

Michonne felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment. _Oh, man!_ She'd definitely just checked him out and she'd been caught red-handed!

Rick's blue eyed stare was direct and intense and Michonne couldn't bring herself to break it. _He does care_…she realized.

Suddenly Michonne wanted to tell him everything, how happy she was whenever she was near him, how badly she wanted to be a part of his little family, how she couldn't stop thinking about what it might feel like to kiss him again… but making an emotional confession was not Michonne's style. She preferred to express herself through her actions, more than her words.

Michonne placed her hand on Rick's cheek, his skin soft and his beard still damp from the shower. She brought her face closer to his. She moved confidently, but she didn't rush, giving him just enough time to know exactly what was happening.

Rick didn't turn away or tell her to stop. Instead, he closed the small space between them and kissed Michonne gently.

It was a warm and lingering kiss and Michonne felt the sweet relief of casting away all the uncertainty, all the unanswered questions of the past months. Michonne's eyes fell closed in pleasure as she tried to express to Rick, _This is what I want…You are all I want…_

They broke apart, both a little out of breath. Michonne savored the soft look in Rick's eyes. _I could get used to this_, she thought as a smile tugged at her lips.

Rick blinked once, slowly, and then, before the spell could be broken, he cupped Michonne's face in his hands and kissed her again, more passionately this time. Michonne became completely lost in the moment, losing all sense of time.

Suddenly, Rick stopped kissing her. He froze, his body tense. The abrupt change was jarring. Confused, Michonne took a half-step backwards so she could see Rick's face clearly.

Rick's expression was a wide-eyed deer-in-the-headlights panic, which confused Michonne even further.

_What's wrong?_ she was about to ask when realization dawned on her.

Both of Rick's hands were touching her face…and not holding up his towel!

"Michonne…" Rick said, his cheeks redder than she had ever seen them, "um…could you, uh, maybe…close your eyes?"

Michonne reluctantly squeezed her eyes shut. A large part of her thought it would be a massive shame not to take advantage of the situation and pull Rick onto her bed to continue what they had started…but if she was honest, that wouldn't be quite fair.

_Rick Grimes, inadvertently naked in my bedroom! What a day this is turning out to be!_ Michonne thought wryly, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

She peeked one eye open to see that Rick had retrieved his towel from the floor and was knotting it securely around his waist once more.

"I, uh, better go get dressed," Rick said, glancing down at the ground almost shyly before looking at her again.

"Mhmm," Michonne nodded. _That's probably for the best…I suppose._

Rick grabbed his red boxers from Michonne's hand and walked hurriedly out of her cell. She watched him leave with a laugh on her lips. _Oh, there is no way he'll ever be able to live this one down!_

"Woof?" the forgotten culprit barked.

Michonne turned to see Boris tilt his head curiously, probably wondering what was going on, as nobody had chastised him for his antics.

"Good boy," she said, winking at the puppy.

…..

TBC!

A/N: So, what did you think? They're relationship is progressing quiet well, don't you say?

Happy Holidays, everyone! :)


	5. Chapter 5 - A Happy Ending

Puppy Love

Summary: Rick and Michonne have a very serious discussion about their relationship and an inevitable conclusion is reached.

A/N: Well, it's been almost a year and a half since I last updated this fic. This might be a record time between updates. I hope you enjoy it and, of course, please review!

And thank you so much to all the Richonne fans who have followed me all these years. Seriously, years. Wow. What am I doing with my life?

…

Chapter 5 – A Happy Ending

Gossip travels fast in a small community. It didn't take long at all for everyone in the prison to hear the story about Rick Grimes running through the halls naked except for a towel, chasing after Carl's wayward puppy who had made off with his father's boxers.

By the time Carl slunk in to the cafeteria for dinner, he was certain that he was in for it.

Carl had spent most of the afternoon completely absorbed by his paperback copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. Michonne had brought the book back for him on one of her supply runs and, after he finally got around to starting it, he could hardly put it down.

Boris, on the other hand, was easily bored and with Carl thoroughly distracted, the curious German Sheppard mix had wandered off unnoticed.

His dad had explicitly told Carl that he was responsible for Boris, including training him to behave and obey commands. So Carl found it odd that his dad didn't mention the underpants theft at all.

In fact, Rick seemed rather distracted during dinner. He told Carl something about their plan for working in the garden tomorrow but otherwise he didn't say much at all.

When Glenn and Daryl started teasing Rick about running around with shampoo in his hair, Carl was certain that was it. But Rick hardly reacted.

He halfheartedly told Daryl, "Stop," but his mind was elsewhere and he went back to eating.

_Well, I'm not going to complain about not getting a lecture_, Carl decided and focused on his own meal, occasionally sneaking small bits to Boris, who sat attentively at his heel.

Rick finally perked up when he saw Michonne enter the cafeteria. She grabbed a bowl of food and made her way to her usual spot beside Carl. Before she could sit down, however, Tyreese appeared with a worried expression.

"The cluster by the east tower is growing faster than we can kill them," he said breathlessly, "The chain-link is starting to bend."

Maggie stood up, "We'll get more people on it. We need to take care of this before dark."

"I'll help," Michonne volunteered immediately, as she always did whenever there was trouble.

Maggie nodded. She, Glenn, Daryl, and several others got up to go help.

Daryl glanced at Rick but when Rick hesitated to say anything, Daryl said, "We got this."

Rick gave his friend a small nod of thanks for not asking him to join. Rick would stand up and fight when he was needed, but in the meantime, he was grateful that Daryl seemed to understand his need to step back from the front lines.

Before leaving, Michonne set her bowl down next to Carl, instructing him seriously, "Don't let anyone eat this."

Carl smiled up at his friend, "Your food is safe with me!"

Michonne frowned, adding, "That means you too."

"I know, I know," Carl reassured her.

Rick caught her eye for a second before she left. Usually he could read her so well but at that moment he couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. Was she happy or conflicted? It was horrible not knowing, but he would have to wait until he had a chance to talk to her alone to figure everything out. And there was a lot to figure out.

The evening passed slowly. Rick helped clean up after dinner and then he spent some time with Judith before putting her down to bed. It was quiet in the cell block and, as the sun went down, the teams working the fences came back in ones and twos, but there was still no sign of Michonne. Rick was determined to stay up and wait for her.

…

The last glimmer of day sank over the horizon and the chill of night settled over the prison yard. Michonne was the last person still outside.

_Enough delaying_, she sighed. Using a spare rag to wipe her sword clean, Michonne walked slowly back towards the cell block. The more she delayed, the more nervous she felt, questioning and over-thinking everything. And that was never Michonne's style. She preferred to address things head-on.

Michonne decided to go find Rick as soon as…she finished her dinner. True to his word, Carl had left her bowl of roasted veggies on the little desk in her room. She ate them hungrily, hoping to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt butterflies in her stomach but ever since kissing Rick, that was the best way to describe how she felt. Michonne changed out of her blood-splattered shirt and quickly brushed her teeth before making her way down the cell block.

There was a dim light on in Rick's cell but it was quiet inside. For a half second Michonne considered turning back, but that brief look Rick had given her at dinner hung in her mind. He wanted to talk, that much had been abundantly clear.

Michonne pushed aside the curtain covering Rick's doorway and smiled.

Little Judith was sound asleep in her crib and Rick was sound asleep with an open book laying on his stomach and a flashlight by his side. He'd fallen asleep while reading. _Probably waiting for me_, Michonne guessed.

Michonne sat on the edge of his cot and picked up the book, carefully turning down the page corner to mark his place, and put it and the flashlight on the table. Rick blinked, confused until he recognized her.

"I was, uh, hey," he said groggily, sitting up.

"Sorry to wake you," Michonne said.

"No, um, I'm glad you did. I wanted to…talk. About earlier," Rick said, his voice a bit uncertain but the look in his eyes was earnest.

Michonne couldn't help but smile, "Yeah. That was something, huh."

"It was," Rick agreed, his eyes flicking to her lips before meeting her gaze again.

Even in the dim light, Michonne could read him like an open book.

"Did you want to talk or…" Michonne teased, "pick up where we left off?"

Rick smiled as he leaned into her space and kissed her.

Their first real kiss had been exhilarating, the sudden passion of realizing at the same moment that they both wanted the same thing. This time, as Rick tenderly kissed her lower lip, Michonne felt a joyful confidence building in her heart.

She knew with every fiber of her being that their connection was real and, running her hand over the back of his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair, exactly what she needed.

"Hold on," Rick murmured, shifting his body to make space for her on the narrow bed.

Michonne scooted down so that she was laying on her back with Rick leaning over her, kissing her. She could feel his desire building off her own.

Breaking the kiss, Rick said in a low voice, "We have to be quiet, don't wanna wake the baby."

The idea that they were sneaking around like a couple teenagers made Michonne giggle.

"Hey, I mean it," Rick tried to sound serious but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Come here," Michonne whispered, and kissed him deeply.

Rick slipped his hand under her shirt and the feel of his warm touch on her soft skin was the tipping point. They both needed more. He pulled her shirt over her head, discarding it somewhere to the side of the bed, and she unbuttoned his pants. In seconds their bodies were bare and the two lovers found a substantially more satisfying position.

In the dark of night, their heartbeats moved in a perfect rhythm. And for the first time in a very long time, Michonne felt fully and wonderfully alive.

As she and Rick fell asleep, tangled up together with only a blanket pulled over them, Michonne decided that she never wanted to go back to the way things were before.


End file.
